{"id":41323,"date":"2023-07-02T02:43:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-02T09:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/?p=41323"},"modified":"2023-06-28T11:47:42","modified_gmt":"2023-06-28T18:47:42","slug":"center-cam-quickread-tape-measure-eye-candy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/center-cam-quickread-tape-measure-eye-candy\/","title":{"rendered":"Center Cam\/Quickread tape measure\/Eye Candy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sign up here<\/em><\/a>\u00a0to get Recomendo a week early in your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eye-contact webcam<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Direct eye contact is the critical missing ingredient on zoom. It\u2019s hard to achieve because each person is looking at the other person\u2019s face and not at their camera off the screen. Years ago I built a contraption that suspends a small webcam in the middle of my monitor so I am looking at the camera as I look at the face. It gave me great eye-contact but was bulky and blocked parts of my screen. I have since replaced it with Center Cam<\/a> ($120), which is an itty-bitty camera mounted on a very slender adjustable gooseneck that suspends in the center of my screen. It is tiny enough that I don\u2019t even notice it, and it gives a clear, high-res image of me looking directly at you. It would be great if everyone else had one of these so your eyes would look directly at me. \u2014 KK<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Easy-to-read tape measure<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I used to blame my measurement errors on the difficult-to-read graduations on tape measures. However, now that I have this Quickread tape measure<\/a>, I can no longer use that excuse. The graduations are printed in both fractions and decimal equivalents. Also, the markings are oriented vertically rather than horizontally, making them easier to read. \u2014 MF<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5,000 GIFS of visual camera tricks<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Eye Candy<\/a> is a really cool visual library of camerawork tricks. When you click on a technique a collage of examples pop up. It\u2019s stunning and a source of inspiration, even if you\u2019re not a filmmaker and just an art appreciator like me. \u2014 CD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cheapest travel destinations<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Our sister newsletter, Nomadico<\/a> (free), delivers four tips weekly to folks who work while they travel or travel while they work. Nomadico is written by Tim Leffel, who runs the Cheapest Destination Blog<\/a>, and is author of the constantly updated book, The World\u2019s Cheapest Destinations<\/a>, now in its fifth edition. The premise behind the blog and book is that you can travel at a higher level, or for twice as long, or for half the price by heading to cheaper destinations. Because of complex factors including monetary exchange rates, these cheaper destinations can often offer extremely high quality experiences, so they are a real bargain. Tim keeps up with the latest news, addresses lingering concerns, and knows the latest bargain places. \u2014 KK<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recommended novel:\u00a0The Death Ship<\/em>, by B. Traven<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of my favorite novels is The Treasure of the Sierra Madre<\/a><\/em> by B. Traven, written in 1927. Recently, I read his 1926 novel, The Death Ship<\/a><\/em>, and found it equally captivating and impressive. The plot revolves around a young American merchant sailor who, while on leave in Antwerp, misses his ship and subsequently struggles to survive. The novel\u2019s theme reminds me of Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris and London<\/a><\/em>, because both explore survival in destitution, balancing of humor and harrowing intensity. (Very little is known about B. Traven, who was so publicity shy that he makes Thomas Pynchon seem like Jacqueline Susann.) \u2014 MF<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top 50 Substack newsletters<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a list of the top 50 Substack newsletters<\/a> with the most number of subscribers. I am not subscribed to any of these, but I did check out all their archives and the only one I was interested in was Organizational Psychologist Adam Grant\u2019s newsletter Granted<\/a>. Most of the newsletters I noticed were political. This list made me realize that the number of subscribers does not at all reflect a newsletter\u2019s usefulness or personal value. Here\u2019s a list of my top 5 favorite newsletters on Substack right now:<\/p>\n\n\n\n